Surface condenser



y 1929. J; F. KIRGAN 1,713534 SURFACE CONDENSER Original Filed Dec. 16, 1927 EL "It A F E tro INVENTOR.

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HIS/1f RNEY Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN F. KIRGAN, F EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, PANY, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A

ASSIGNOR TO INGERSOLL-RAND COM- CORPORATIQN OF NEW JERSEY.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

Application filed December 16, 1927, Serial No. 240,453. RenewedApril 4, 1929.

This invention relates to surface condensers for steam.

Steam condensers of the surface type, as they are ordinarily constructed, are pro vided with rows of water conducting steam condensing tubes arranged across the path of the steam.

The best practice at present is to convey the water through all the tubes in the same direction, thus providing what is known as single pass arrangement. As steam is condensed by the tubes the heat is absorbed in the water, causing the tubes to become progressively hotter in the direction of the water exit end of the tubes. This results in a cool end of the condenser and a warmer end. The natural tendency of the steam is to penetrate more deeply at the warmer end than at the cool end, since the heat transfer from the steam to the tubes is more effective at the cooler end and the steam becomes condensed before penetrating as deeply at the cool end as at the warm end. This results in a tendency to leave certain portions of the tube area unexposed to steam, from which it may be seen that certain portions of the condenser are ordinarily useless 'unless means is provided to cause the steam to penetrate as deeply at the cold end as at the warm end.

It is an object of this invention to cause the steam tc penetrate the cooler portion of the condenser so as to reach the more remote tubes. It is another object of the invention to cause the steam to be directed in parallel lines of flow through the various portions of the condenser.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section through a condenser constructed in accordance with the. practice of the invention,

the section being taken along the line 11 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the Figure 3 is a cross section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 4 is a section through the warmer end taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looklngln the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the condenser comprises a casing A within which are arranged a plurality of water conducting coolng tubes B arranged lengthwise of the casing A and transverse to the direction of steam flow from a steam inlet C to an outlet D for air and uncondensable gases withdrawn from the condenser by suitable evacuating apparatus (not shown). The tubes B are sealed in suitable tube sheets E and F at opposite ends of the casing A and receive water from a water inlet box G disposed at one end of the casing water into a discharge water box H disposed at the opposite end of the casing, A.

s steam is passed around the tubes B the Water in the tubes absorbs the heat of condensation from the steam, causing the tubes B to have a risingtemperature in the direction of the discharge water box H. Because of the higher temperature at the warmer ends of the tubes B the tendency of the steam is to penetrate more deeply in the end of the casing A containing the warmer ends of the tubes B since the heat transfer from steam to the warm tubes and water is not as good as at the cooler ends of the tubes B nearer the inlet water box G.

In order to make the lower banks of tubes B more effective to condense steam at the regions near the inlet water box G the condenser is divided into two sections or more if desired by me'ansof a vertical partition J extending from the region of the steam inlet C in the direction of the air outlet D. The partition J may be a tube supporting plate such as is ordinarily employed for supporting the tubes when the casing A is relatively long. The space within the casing A is thus divided by the partition J into two compartments hereinafter termed the cool and warm compartments, the cool compartment containing the portions of the tubes B relatively close to the inlet water box G and the warm compartment containing those portions of the tubes B relatively remote from the inlet water box G and close to the box H.

The tubes B are arranged in the tube A and discharge such discharge water.

sheets E and F in staggered relation, this being generally accepted as the best arrangement for exposing the tube surface to the steam passing through the tube nest.

As has been said above, the tendency of the steam is to penetrate more deeply in the warm compartment than in the cool compartment and to counteract this tendency the tubes B in the cooler compartment are arrangedto form steam lanes as shown at K in the cooler compartment, thus offering less resistance to the passage of steam through the tube bank in the cooler compartment than in the warmer compartment. To this end alternate rows of the tubes B in the cooler compartment are bent as at L into vertical alignment with the remaining rows so as to provide relatively free discharge of the steam through the lanes K thus formed between the tubes. 4

In the steam lanes K a predetermined parallel flow of the steam is obtained by means of strips of wood 0 inserted therein, preferably parallel to the partition J. The strips 0 furthermore hold the tubes in their bent position to keep the steam lanes K 0 en.

The staggered relation of the tubes in the warmerend is shown in Figure 4 and the aligned relation of the tubes in the cooler section or compartment is shown in Figure 3.

In this instance there is only one air outlet D provided and one steam inlet C. The pressure all over the zone adjacent the steam inlet C must therefore be substantially the same. Likewise the pressure existing substantially throughout the length of the condenser below the last bank of tubes B is substantially constant. In order to draw steam to the bottom row of tubes 13 in the cooler end the quantity must be increased in the cooler compartment as compared with the warmer compartment for the tendency of the steam is to be completely condensed at less penetration in the cooler end than in the warmer end. There is the same pressure .drop, due to friction and other causes, through both the warmer and cooler compartments. Increased quantity of steam is accomplished by higher velocity in the cooler end as compared with the warmer end and therefore the friction and other pressure losses must be the same in the two compartments. The steam lanes K at the higher velocity are adapted to provide substantially the same pressure loss at the higher steam velocity as exists in the relatively tortuous passage around the staggered tubes B in the warmer compartment of the condenser.'

Thus by the above construction are accompli'shed, among others, the objects hereinbefore referred to.

I claim:

'1. A surface condenser for steam, comprising a shell having a steam inlet and an outlet for air and uncondensable gases, steam condensing tubes arranged transverse to the direction of steam flow, a partition dividing the easing into a warm compartment and a cool compartment, the tubes being ar ranged in staggered relation in the warm compartment and in the cool compartment forming lanes to facilitate the penetration of steam therein.

2. A surface condenser for steam, comprising a shell having a steam inlet and an outlet for air and uncondensable gases, steam condensing tubes arranged transverse to the direction of steam flow, a partition dividing the casing into a Warm compartment and a cool compartment, the tubes being arranged in staggered relation in the warm compartment and in the cool compartment forming lanes to facilitate the penetration of steam therein, and means for maintaining a predetermined direction of flow in the cooler compartment.

3. A surface condenser for steam, comprising a shell having a steam inlet and an outlet for air and uncondensable gases, steam condensing tubes arranged transverse to the direction of steam flow, a partition dividing the casing into a warm compartment and a cool compartment, the tubes being arranged in staggered relation in the warm compartment and in the cool compartment forming lanes to facilitate the penetration of steam therein, and means for maintaining a predetermined direction of flow in the cooler compartment, including a partition in the steam lanes.

4. A surface condenser for steam, comprising a shell having a steam inlet and an outlet for air and uncondensable gases, steam condensing tubes arranged transverse to the direction of steam How, a partition dividing the easing into a Warm compartment and a cool compartment, the tubes being arranged in staggered relation in the warm compartment and in the cool compartment forming lanes to facilitate the penetration of steam therein, and means for maintaining a predetermined direction of flow in the cooler compartment, including a plurality of strips inserted in the steam lanes between the tubes in the direction of steam flow.

'In testimony whereof I have signed this 

